Raise Your Voice Or Say Bye-Bye To Bukit Kiara

Say Bye bye to Bukit Kiara

Fakawi Tribe, along with the Trail Association of Kuala Lumpur & Selangor and many other volunteers, are involved in the conservation and maintenance of the trails of Bukit Kiara, Malaysia, the jewel of mountain biking in South-East Asia.

Sadly, this is what is currently happening; Bukit Kiara is being fenced up.

Bukit Kiara map

The fence around Bukit Kiaraas defined in the Draft Masterplan for Taman Persekutuan – TABB Bukit Kiar -Map courtesy of Pat Brundson

This is what Pat Brundson says about this:

According to the brief we received from the National Landscape Department, only the perimeter will be fenced. The internal lines show the different zones that are planned. There is no plan to fence along those lines. The trails likely to be affected by the fence are Plan C+, Pure Quill, Janie’s Addiction and some of the horse trails.

The reason for the fence is to secure the perimeter of the park. The National Landscape people feel that if they must be responsible for all aspects of the park they must be able to control access. Whether or not you agree to that is another matter. As for what you can do to steer things in the direction you want? Join TRAKS, join the Friends of Bukit Kiara, join Taman Tun Residents Association.

I’d be happy for anyone else rather than me to be the one to represent in dealing with them, I’m only doing it because someone needs to speak for us and very few others have been willing to do anything at all. As usual.

So officially, the fence is erected to protect the forest… from what? Rubber tappers they said…? Who’s going to believe this… but this is another debate.

Here’s the result; mountain bike riders who put countless efforts since years in building the most fantastic network of trails in Malaysia are rewarded with this:

help bukit kiara is being destroyed

The fence around Bukit Kiara, Malaysia

So, riders and hikers, it’s now time to raise your voice and get involved, if not too late - or say good bye to mountain biking in Bukit Kiara.

Source: fakawitribe.com